The invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to a panel mount connector having a latch mechanism that provides for mounting of the connector without hardware.
In general, an electrical cable includes one or more conductors, which may be wire conductors, that are surrounded by insulation. Networked electronic systems often include a number of devices communicating with other devices through a number of associated electrical cables with electrical connectors. Typically, one device is connected to another device or system through a single conductor or multiple conductors that are terminated with contacts in a connector housing. To terminate the conductors to the connector contacts, wire insulation is removed from an end of the cable to expose the conductors therein. The conductors are placed into the contacts of the connector and the conductors are attached thereto, such as with crimping or soldering techniques.
It is common to utilize a backshell on an electrical connector to protect the conductors of the electrical cable which are connected to the contacts in the connector. The backshell covers the contact tails to prevent someone or something from inadvertently touching the energized contacts. The backshell may also provide strain relief for the cable so that excessive forces applied to the cable will not cause the cable conductors to become disconnected from the contacts in the connector housing.
In at least some electronic systems, the electrical connectors are mounted to a connector panel for mating with a complementary mating connector. The connectors are mounted to the connector panel using a variety of methods such as brackets, clamps, or threaded bolts or other fasteners. With the continuously increasing demand for resources in today's systems, connector space on the connector panels is in short supply. In many instances, due to space limitations, system operators limit the amount of connector space available for each application. In addition to the size of the connectors and backshells themselves, features that may be provided for particular mounting arrangements may also contribute to space shortages on the connector panel by increasing the space required between connectors. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,854 describes a panel mounting system for a connector that includes a side mounted latch that is enclosed in a protective shroud to protect the latch from breakage. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,285 describes a panel mounting system that includes a latch mechanism on the top of the connector that almost doubles the height of the connector.
A need remains for a connector assembly that has a smaller footprint to facilitate saving space on the connector panels. It would be further desirable to provide a connector assembly that is mountable to the panel without the need for tools or mounting hardware.